Pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus



March 24, 1936. J T, NEEDHAM ET AL 2,034,918

PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE APPARATUS Filed m 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l nuenfo r5 fa/021M412 March 24, 1936.

J. T. NEEDHAM ET AL PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE APPARATUS :Filed May 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nvent ms @mzA m W (12%,

attorneys Patented Mar. 24, 1936 STATES rsi" OFFICE PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE APPARATUS John T. Needham, North Plainfield, and Walter I Jacob Mann, Plainfield, N. J assignors to General Conveyors Limited, Montreal,

Quebec,

11 Claims.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in a dispatch tube terminal structure of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,972,272, granted Sept. 4, 1934, to John T. Needham. In said terminal structure a housing forms a receiving chamber for carriers and also forms an air conduit between an incoming dispatch tube and an outgoing dispatch tube. The latter tube has a sending terminal within the receiving chamber and the chamber has a door for removal of carriers discharged into the chamber by the incoming tube and for insertion of carriers into said sending terminal.

An important object of the present invention is to provide carrier switch means in such a terminal structure adjustable to permit discharge of carriers into the receiving chamber from the incoming dispatch tube or to direct carriers from said tube to the outgoing tube for transmission to another station.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section approximately on the line I-I of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 a horizontal section approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a front view of the terminal structure; and

Fig. 4 a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The terminal structure includes a casing forming a temporary receptacle for carriers delivered to a station by a dispatch tube. Said casing comprises a dome-like upper section I and a fiat bottom section 2 both approximately rectangular in plan and elongated fore and aft. Preferably the casing sections are metal castings.

The section I has fiat side walls 3 and a wall 4.

arched fore and aft and forming the top and ends of the casing. At its lower edge the section I is flanged, as at 5, and detachably secured to the bottom section 2 by screws 6 or other fastenin means. The sections combine to form a substantially airtight chamber to receive delivered carriers and also form an air conduit between the incoming tube and the out-going tube. At the front of the casing the wall 4 is formed with two doorways l and 8 arranged side by side. Through the doorway l deposited carriers are removed from the chamber and through the doorway 8 carriers are inserted into a sending terminal within the chamber, as will be explained hereinafter.

Near one of the rear corners of the receiving chamber the bottom plate 2 has an orifice 9 surrounded by a collar I0 formed on the under side of the plate. An incoming dispatch tube II has its discharge end fitted in said orifice to discharge carriers upward into the receiving chamber. Near the diagonally opposite front corner of the chamber, the bottom plate has an orifice I2 defined by a collar I3 formed on the under side of the plate and of materially greater depth than the collar I0. At its lower end collar I3 has its internal diameter reduced and an outgoing dispatch tube I4 has its receiving end fitted therein.

Within the reeciving chamber there is a tube section I5 of approximately inverted U-form having a curvature approximating that of the arched wall 4. This tube section forms the carrier switch and it is adjustable topermit discharge of carriers from the incoming tube I I into the receiving chamber or to effect delivery of the carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube I4. At its forward end the switch tube has a swivel connection with the collar I3 holding said end in constant register with the outgoing tube. A short tube section I6 is fitted in the forward end of the switch tube and fixed therein and has its lower end protruding downward and rotatably fitted in the lower end of the collar. The rear end of the switch tube has a flat surrounding flange I'I bearing upon the fiat bottom plate 2 and slidable thereon.

Normally, when carriers are to be discharged into the receiving chamber, the switch tube occupies a straight fore-and-aft position in the chamber with its rear end out of register with thedischarge end of the delivery tube and blanked by the bottom 2. When, however, the station at which the terminal is located is idle, as at night, and it is desired to route the carriers through to another station the switch is swung laterally about its forward swivel connection to bring its rear end into receiving register with the incoming tube I I. Carriers then pass without interruption from tube I I, through switch tube I5 to tube It. Mounted on the bottom 2' is a leaf spring I8 having its ends free and formed with locking projections IS. The latter are engageable with a notch 26: in the flange II of the switch tube to yieldably lock the tube in either of said adjustments. The switch tube is reached through the doorway I for manual adjustment.

At the front of the receiving chamber the switch tube I5 has an entrance orifice 2| opening forward and in constant register with the doorway 8. Carriers are dispatched through the outgoing tube M by inserting them through said registering doorway and orifice into the switch tube. The

' normally separated spring contact fingers.

latter thus serves also as a sending terminal and carriers are transmitted by air pressure delivered through the incoming tube II, by suction in the outgoing tube l4, orboth.

The doorway 8 through which carriers are inserted for dispatch is closed by a door 22 hinged at its lower edge, as at 23, to lugs 24 formed on the front of easing section Doorway l is closed by a similarly mounted door 25. Both doors have leather gaskets 25 which seat against marginal seats around the doorways and seal the receiving chamber substantially airtight. Said door seats incline rearward. Each door has a rotatable latch 21 engageable with the inner margin of the doorway to lock the door closed and said latch is operable by a knob 23 at the front of the door. At its inner face the door 22 bears a guide member 29 partly closing the switch tube orifice when the door is closed. Said member has an arcuate guide face with a curvature corresponding to that of the switch tube and serving to guide carriers through the switch tube past said orifice. Said guide member swings out with the door to a position where it will not obstruct the insertion of carriers. Adjacent its hinges each door has stop lugs 3|] engageable with a front structure, to be described hereinafter, to limit outward swinging of the door.

Beneath the door hinges the front of the casing section is formed to define two forwardly opening recesses 3| and 32 located beneath door 22 and door 25 respectively. Within the recess 3| there is an electric switch 33 comprising two At its hinge, door 22 has a cam face 34 engageable with one of said fingers to force it against the other and close the switch when the door is opened. Said switch controls means, not shown, to start a flow of carrier-propelling air through the outgoing tube l4. Recess 32 contains an electric signal lamp 35 to indicate the delivery of carriers into the receiving chamber from the incoming dispatch tube Within the receiving chamber in advance of the orifice 9 through which the incoming tube discharges, there is a trough-like platform 36 to receive the discharged carriers. Said platform is hinged, as at 31, to one of the side walls of the casing to swing downward. Beneath the platform is an electric switch 38 in circuit with the signal lamp 35. The switch comprises two normally separated spring contact fingers one of which is adapted to be depressed into contact with the other by the platform when the latter is depressed by the weight of a carrier thereon. Thereby the lamp is illuminated to indicate the presence of a carrier in the receiving chamber, to be removed through the doorway 1. The platform has a counterbalance weight 39 to elevate it away from switch 36 when there is no carrier on the platform and thereby permit the switch to open the signal lamp circuit. Between the platform and the delivery orifice 9 there is an upstanding, forwardly, curved baflie 40 to keep carriers on the platform away from the delivery orifice. Carriers discharged into the chamber through said orifice are deflected by the arched wall 4, over said bafile and onto the platform.

At one side of the casing defining the carrierreceiving chamber there is a dispatch tube loop section 4| of approximately inverted U form and having approximately the same curvature as the arched casing wall 4. Joined to the front and rear ends of said loop are dispatch tube sections 42 and 43 respectively, forming, together with the loop, part of another dispatch tube line. Car riers may pass along this line through the station to another station and carriers may also be inserted into the line at the present station for transmission to another station. For insertion of carriers the loop is provided at the front with a sending orifice 44 disposed beside the casing doorway 'l. A door 45 closes said orifice and has a hinge mounting on the tube loop similar tothe mountings of the aforementioned doors of the casing. It also has similar latching means and a similar stop projection to limit its opemng movement. The loop thus serves as a sending terminal and it is provided primarily for relaying carriers taken from the receiving chamber to a station on the separate tube line. The tube loop is preferably a metal casting and, beneath the door hinge it defines a forwardly opening recess 46. A switch 41 similar to switch 33 is mounted in said recess and is operable in a similar manner. by opening the door 45. Switch 41 similarly controls means, not shown, to start a carrier propelling flow of air through the tube section 42, the loop 4| and the tube section 43, for propulsion of a carrier inserted through the orifice 44.

At the front of the carrier-receiving casing and the loop 39 there is a frame structure comprising a face plate 48. This plate is rectangular in front View and its lower portion is vertical and extends materially below the level of the receiving casing. Its upper portion recedes to follow the recession of the curved front walls of the casing and the loop 4|. Along its upper and side edges the plate extends forward to form a hood 49 over the three doors. Within said hood the plate is formed with three apertures which register with the sending orifice of the loop and the two doorways of the casing and are of a size and shape to afford clearance for the doors and their mountings. The plate also has a horizontally elongated aperture in register with the forwardly opening recesses 3|, 32 and 46 containing the switch 33, lamp 35 and switch 41 respectively. A forwardly bulging cover plate covers said elongated aperture in the plate and has perforations directly in front of the signal lamp to permit outward passage of rays from the lamp. Said cover plate is fastened to the frame plate by screws. The lower vertical portion of the face plate bears a plurality of carrier-supporting barrels 5| which form a carrier magazine. They extend rearward from the face plate and open forward through it. The face plate is preferably detachably secured to the carrier-receiving casing and to the loop 4|, as by screws 52. The entire terminal structure forms a compact unit which is designed for convenient mounting in a compartment of a desk or the like.

Features shown and described in this application but not claimed are claimed in the aforesaid Patent No. 1,972,272.

What we claim is:

1. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system, comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having" a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; and a switch tube within the chamber mounted for adjustment to permit deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube and for adjustment to direct carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube and having an orifice in one side thereof for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube, the housing having a door giving access to said orifice for insertion of carriers.

2. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a casing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube at the under side of the chamber and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube at the under side of the chamber, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; and a switch tube in substantially the form of an inverted U within the chamber and having one end swiveled in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and adapting the switch tube to be shifted laterally to bring its other end into and. out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having an orifice located close to one wall of the casing for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube and said wall of the casing having a door giving access to said orifice for insertion of carriers from outside the casing.

3. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system, comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a switch tube within the chamber mounted for adjustment to permit deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube and for adjustment to direct carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube and having a side orifice for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube, the housing having a door giving access to said orifice for insertion of carriers; and guide means carried by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past said orifice.

4. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a substantially U-shaped switch tube within the casing and having one end swiveled in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and its other end shiftable into and. out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having a side orifice for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube and the housing having a door giving access to said dispatch orifice; and. a carrier guide carried by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past said orifice.

5. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a substantially U-shaped switch tube within the chamber and having one end swiveled in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and its other end adjustable into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having an orifice for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube and the housing having a door giving access to said dispatch orifice; and releasable snap locking means to hold the switch tube ineither of said adjustments.

6. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system, comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection at its under side for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection at its under side for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a switch tube in substantially the form of an inverted U- within the chamber and having one end swiveled in constantdelivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and adapting the switch tube to be manually shifted laterally to bring its other end into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the T incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, the housing having a doorway and the switch tube having a side orifice adjacent said swivel connection and in register with said doorway for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube; a door for said doorway; and carrier guide means carried by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past said orifice, the switch tube being adapted to remain in either of its said positions until manually shifted to the other position.

7. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system, comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection at its under side for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection at its under side for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a switch tube in substantially the form of an inverted U within the chamber and having one end swiveled in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and adapting the switch tube to be shifted laterally to bring its other end into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, the housing having a doorway and the switch tube having a side orifice adjacent said swivel connection and in register with said doorway for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube; a door for said doorway; and carrier guide means carried by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past said orifice.

8. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection of an outgoing dispatch tube, said chamber forming a passage for fiow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a switch tube within said chamber formed with a bend and having one end swivelled in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and adapting the switch tube to be shifted to bring its other end into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having an orifice in one side thereof for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube; and a door affording access for insertion of carriers through said orifice.

9. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming .dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, said chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming to the out-going tube; a switch tube within said chamber having one end mounted in constant delivery relation to the outgoing tube and its other end shiftable into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having an orifice in one side thereof for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube; and a .door affording access for insertion of carriers through said orifice.

10. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system, comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube, a switch tube within the chamber mounted for adjustment to permit deposit of carrier into the chamber from the incoming tube and for adjustment to direct carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube and having a side orifice for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube, the housing having a door giving access to said orifice for insertion of carriers; and carrier guide means operable by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past the orifice and to shift away from the orifice by opening of the door for admission of carriers through the orifice.

11. A terminal device for a pneumatic dispatch system comprising a housing forming a substantially air-tight carrier-receiving chamber and having a connection for an incoming dispatch tube and a connection for an outgoing dispatch tube, the chamber forming a passage for flow of air from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube; a substantially U-shaped switch tube within the casing and having one end swiveled in constantly delivery relation to the outgoing tube connection and its other end shiftable into and out of receiving relation to the incoming tube connection, for directing carriers from the incoming tube to the outgoing tube or permitting the deposit of carriers into the chamber from the incoming tube, said switch tube having a side orifice for insertion of carriers for dispatch through the outgoing tube and the housing having a door giving access to said dispatch orifice; and carrier guide means operable by said door to extend across said orifice when the door is closed to guide carriers in the switch tube past the orifice and to shift away from the orifice by opening of the door for admission of carriers through the orifice.

JOHN T. NEEDHAM. WALTER J. MANN. 

